Puttee.



P. J. AHLERS.-

PUTTEE.

APPLICATION FILED Nov. 12, 1911.

- lml, Patented 1111.151918L "teinte zr. Artisans, or "nav/venin n. Y.

PUTTE.

Manasse.

I VSpecieation of LettersPatent.

real/mea amas, tare.

Application led November 12, 1917. Serial No. 201,603.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that PinLIr J. AHLERS, a citizen of the United States, residing at borough of Manhattan, city, county, and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improved Puttee, of which the following is a full, clear, and eXact description.

My invention relates to puttees.

Among the principal objects which the present invention has in view are: to provide a puttee resilient in character throughout, and which can be used Jfor either leg; to avoid constricting the part of the body to which the puttee is applied; to provide a puttee which will conform to the shape of the leg to constitute an even covering theretor; to permit reversing the puttee tor maintaining the appearance ot cleanliness; to augment the warmth of the puttee without increasing the weight.

The following is a description of a puttee embodying my invention, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a face view of a puttee strip constructed and arranged in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a detail view on an enlarged scale, partly in section, to show the construction of the puttee;

F ig. 3 is ay cross-section of the puttee on an enlarged scale, the section being taken as on the line 3 3, in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a view showing the method of applying the puttee in service.

Heretofore puttees have been made from leather and from strips of single ply cloth of suitable character, the edges whereof have been hemmed or otherwise formed to prevent raveling, the hemming or forming referred to having had the eiiect of rendering the edges of the puttee strip non-stretchable. The result has been that the leather puttee unless shaped has Jformed a rough lapped edge of the article when in service, and the cloth material, the center of which has stretched more or less, has had the effect of binding on the non-stretchable edge sections, so that the puttee has contracted on the leg and has interfered with the circulation of the blood therein. Again, when the puttee has become wet and subsequently dried, the cloth or leather troni which it has been constructed has contracted beyond the original dimensions and has resulted in binding the leg too closely, requiring the wearer to suffer the inconvenience caused thereby or to readjust the puttees.

When constructed in the form in the present invention, the puttee consists primarily of a knitted, tubular strip 9. The strip is cut to the required length and at one extremity the end is turned in and secured by stitching. The end ot' the strip 9 that is held by the stitching 10, as shown best in Fig. 2 of the drawings, is preferably squared. The opposite end of the puttee to which is attached the securing strap 11 is turned in and shaped to form the tapered end section 12 the end of the strap 11 eX- tending between the sides thereotl so that the junction of said strap and body portion present the same appearance on both sides of the body portion. The portions of the strip that are turned in at this end are securely held by the stitching 13.

The strap 11 is constructed from tape or other suitable material which is non-stretchable. This strap is used tor binding the top portion of the puttee and is handled in the manner usual to the adjustment of puttees in service.

It will be observed that the tubular strip 9 is held by the stitching` 10 and 13 in a double ply, flattened condition, but the edges of the flattened strip thus formed, while they do not ravel, have the same resiliency or stretch as is given to the body. This admits of the strip shaping itself to conform to the shape of the leg ot the wearer and avoids in serviceany tendency to constrict or impede the circulation. It is obvious, also, that if a puttee thus constructed becomes damp, it will not bind the leg of the wearer when drying, as the body and edges ot the puttee will stretch to accommodate the strains due to the contraction in drying. On ac count ot its resiliency, it can be used for either leg.

It is obvious that the material 'from which the puttee is constructed may be rendered impervious to water in many ways.

XV hat I claim is:

1. As an article ot manufacture, a puttee having a. resilient tubular body portion.

2. As an article of manufacture, a puttee of non-resilient material iXedly attached to having a knitted tubular body portion. the tapered end portion and between the 3. Asan article of manufacture, a puttee sides thereof, the iunctionA of said strap and lo having a knitted tubular body portion, the said body portion being so joined as`to pre- 5 ends whereof are inturned and permanently sent the same appearance on both sides of held, one of the inturned end portions being the body portion. tapered; and a securing strap constructed PHILIP J. AHLERS.

Copies o f this patent may be obtained for ve cents each,` by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, f Washington, D. C. 

